The InterStream economy enables an environment in which all participants benefit as the market grows. Providers in the assocation simply sign a Mediated Bandwidth Agreement (MBA) in order to have access to the technology and additional intellectual property protection within the assocation. Content providers may join the assocation by becoming members.  Specific rights and privileges are available to members in exchange for assisting in the viral distribution of the ISTP plugin and by participating in the definition of the InterStream Terms of Service Agreement (ITOSA). Participating as a member of the association provides audit capability in accordance with InterStream Anti-Piracy policies. (See the Jan. 2008 blog on the topic).

Within the InterStream economy, participants must be known to the association in order to facilitate financial settlement and preserve the trust model of the overall system. One company may participate in multiple roles. For instance, a broadband service provider may also be an account provider and an independent content distributor.  

InterStream differentiates between members and providers because under an ordinary peering relationship they have distinct characteristics in the system. ISP providers are either Transit, Broadband, or Value-Added Edge suppliers while members offer accounts on the system. All potential participants and their categories are outlined below.

• InterStream^SM Transit Providers
  ISPs who offer IP Transit services may participate in the association by agreeing to meet quality requirements for their transit service.  Optionally, they may also use nuMetra's proxy technology to interface to their downstream broadband provider networks.  By using the nuMetra technology, IP transit providers can offer a streaming transit service to their customers over all broadband connections. These participants execute the InterStream MBA in order to provide ISTP service in the InterStream system.
• InterStream^SM Broadband Providers
  Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with broadband customers are capable of offering new classes of service over their network.  Incremental revenue as well as new end-user services such as online gaming and broadband television may be offered. Thes providers must also adhere to the InterStream MBA.
• Account Providers (or Portal Operator)
  Account providers are InterStream, LLC members who have purchased an equity position in the association.  They have full membership rights including the ability to govern the direction of the licensing association and net-top software development.  These "members" may offer a portal under the InterStream Account Guide of the net-top system; negotiate preferred bandwidth pricing with InterStream ISPs; and offer their own conditional access cards to other providers, consumer electronics companies, or consumers. Members wishing to have audit capabilities of the media grid in accordance with the association's anti-piracy policy may participate by filing the association's membership application and fulfilling the resource and financial obligations to InterStream.
• Independent Content Distributors
  Content originator, not interested or capable of providing customer account services may participate by simply registering their content in the system.  Their content will be capable of being streamed to the InterStream broadband television account portal as well as other account providers who are interested in their content. They may purchase a portal name so that their content may be represented streamed in the system and they may purchase from any ISP provider in the system.
• Value-Added Edge Providers
  “Last 100 meter” providers with unique user dynamics may also participate. For example, hotels, dormitories, airports, or apartments offering broadband as a service.  These providers may designate their pricing by participating with an upstream broadband or transit provider and sharing their transit keys with these network operators.
• Advertisers
  Businesses and Advertising Services interested in placing directly targeted advertising in return for direct consumer benefit participate by working with either nuMetra or directly with other InterStream account providers.

In addition, a number of other participants in the economy will benefit and may be required to comply with InterStream Specifications, but are not required to register transit keys, execute the MBA, or ITOSA, including:

• Network Infrastructure Providers
• Consumer Electronics Providers
• User Interface Designers
• Video Compression Services
• Stream Server Platform Providers
• Digital Video Hosting Centers

For further information, contact info@interstream.com.